Almond Chocolate Cake With Ganache Food

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350, grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
• sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl, add the almonds, combine with a whisk and set aside.
• With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter for about 1 minute, or until the butter is lighter in color.
• Slowly add the sugar, about 2 Tbls at a time.
• When all of the sugar is added, continue to beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; the mixture will look fluffy like something between mayonnaise and whipped cream.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 10 seconds between each addition.
• Add the melted chocolate and honey and beat for a few seconds until smooth.
• With a rubber spatula, fold the sifted ingredients into the batter in 3 segments, alternating with the buttermilk which is added 1/2 cup at a time.
• Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture looks smooth.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool the cake on a wire rack.
• Ganache:.
• Heat the cream on the stove until just under a boil.
• Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.
• Stir until the chocolate is all melted and thouroughly combined into the cream.
• Frost the top of the cake only with the ganache while the cake is still warm.
• Serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Make the almond cake - place the almonds and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor and process till very finely ground.
• Place the eggs in a warm mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat them till fluffy about 1 minute.
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating at high speed till the eggs are pale yellow and approximately triple in volume, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Working in batches, beat in the almond mixture and the flour, alternating with the olive oil and milk.
• Stir in the lemon zest and cinnamon.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.
• Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with a circle of waxed paper.
• Generously butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and tap it on a counter to level the batter.
• Bake the cake on the center rack until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Let cake cool on a rack for about 20 minutes.
• While the cake is cooling, make the rum syrup: place the rum and sugar in a small saucepan.
• Add 1/2 cup water and heat, stirring over medium heat till the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Run a thin knife around the side of the cake to loosen it, then remove the side of the pan.
• Invert the cake onto a plate and remove the bottom of the pan and the waxed paper.
• Prick the cake all over with a fork and generously brush it with the rum syrup, waiting for the syrup to be absorbed before brushing on more.
• Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for about 1 hour to fully absorb the syrup.
• Make the chocolate ganache - place the cream in a small, heavy saucepan and heat it over medium heat till it is hot but not boiling, and begins to bubble around the edge.
• Place the chocolate in a metal bowl and pour the hot cream over it all at once.
• Let the cream stand while the chocolate melts, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir the chocolate mixture in a circular motion, starting at the center of the bowl and working your way out to the side.
• Be careful not to stir too vigorously or you will add too much air to the ganache.
• Keep stirring till all the chocolate is melted and completely blended with the cream.
• (If by some chandce the ganache breaks - looks oily or curdled - you can fix it by heating 1/4 cup of heavy cream to a simmer, transfer it to a bowl and whisk in the broken ganache bit by bit).
• Let the ganache stand at room temp till thickened but spreadable, about 1 hour.
• Place the cake on a cake platter, spread the ganache generously over the top and sides, and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
• Place a medium saucepot on medium heat and bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a simmer. Place a medium bowl on top of the saucepot and add the semisweet chocolate and coconut oil. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the chocolate until fully melted and combined with the coconut oil, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and set aside. Leave the saucepot with the water on the stove.
• Place the almonds in a food processor and grind until a powdery consistency is reached. Transfer the almonds to a large bowl and add the quinoa, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir to combine the dry ingredients, then add the melted chocolate mixture, coconut milk, vanilla and eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• For the ganache: Reheat the water in the saucepot over medium heat to bring to a simmer. Place another medium bowl over the water and add the semisweet chocolate and coconut milk. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the chocolate until fully melted and combined with the coconut milk.
• Drizzle the ganache over the cake, top with raspberries and serve.

ALMOND CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE, GANACHE AND FRESH STRAWBERRY FILLING, VANILLA BUTTERCREAM ICING AND PINK POURED FONDANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare two 16-inch cake pans by greasing them and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with the paddle attachment, add the liquid shortening, inverted sugar and vanilla. Then add the cake flour, granulated sugar, milk powder, baking powder, sea salt and cream of tartar. Mix on speed 1 for 1 minute. Then add half of the egg whites and mix on speed 1 for 3 minutes.
• Add the remaining egg whites and mix on speed 1 for 1 minute. Then mix on speed 3 for 3 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, and add the whole eggs, water and almond extract. Mix on speed 1 for 1 minute. Then on speed 3 for 3 minutes. Lastly, mix on speed 1 for 10 minutes.
• Fill the cake pans two-thirds full and bake until golden and a tester such as a toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely.
• To assemble the cake: Torte the cooled cakes (level and split them horizontally into 2 layers each). Generously spread a layer of the Ganache on the first layer of cake, then a generous layer of Cream Cheese Filling. Layer some fresh strawberries on top of the Cream Cheese Filling. Repeat with the next 2 cake layers. Top with the last cake layer and ice the cake smooth with the Vanilla Buttercream Icing. Lastly, pour a thin layer of Pink Poured Fondant over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
• In a microwave-safe glass bowl, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted, stirring between each intervals. Add the cream and mix with a spatula until smooth. Let cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and cream cheese until smooth. Then add the confectioners' sugar, sea salt, vanilla and butter emulsion. Mix it all on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening until smooth. Then add the confectioners' sugar, sea salt, vanilla and butter emulsion.
• Mix it all on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the confectioners' sugar, then the water, corn syrup, almond extract, vanilla, liquid whitener and food coloring. Mix it all on medium speed until smooth, about 10 minutes. Yield: enough for one 16-inch layer cake.

MARZIPAN CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND SLICED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter. Add 1 tablespoon flour and coat the dish, shaking out any excess flour.
• Mix the almond paste and sugar on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one has been fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and mix just until combined. Pour into the prepared pie dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until just until scalding, about 3 minutes. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly so it is spreadable. Evenly frost the top of the cake with the ganache. Sprinkle the outer edges with the sliced almonds and decorate with the raspberries. Serve at room temperature.

SPECKLED CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 8" springform pan.
• Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and butter the parchment paper.
• Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar for 5 minutes.
• In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.
• Add the 1/2 c butter to the sugar mixture. Stir in the chopped chocolate gently.
• Stir in 1/3 of the flour gently.
• Stir in 1/3 of the egg white folding together as lightly as possible.
• Repeat, alternating between the flour and the egg whites.
• Pour cake batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake cake for 50 minutes.
• Cool cake on a wire rack.
• To prepare gananche, heat the cream until hot but not boiling.
• Pour the crean over the chocolate.
• Stir occasionally while mixture is cooling. When completely cooled, beat with electric mixer until fluffy, 5-10 minutes. Do not overbeat or the mixture will be very stiff and hard to spread.
• Place the cake back into the springform pan and top with the ganache. Wrap and chill until firm.
• Remove from pan and serve.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND MARY ANN CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F
• Grease a Mary Ann cake pan and dust with cocoa powder.
• TO MAKE THE CAKE:.
• Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the 3/4 cup cocoa, the sugar, the Amaretto and boiling water.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs and vanilla.
• Pour into the cocoa mixture and whisk to combine.
• Whisk in the flour mixture in two additions.
• Pour the batter through a fine-mesh sieve into the prepared pan and stir in the chocolate chips.
• Bake until the cake springs back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Tap the pan gently on a work surface, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan.
• Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• TO MAKE THE GANACHE:.
• Put the chocolate in a small bowl.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream until bubbles form around the edges of the pan.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate.
• Let stand for 1 minute, then slowly whisk until smooth.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before using.
• Pour the ganache into the well of the cake.
• Using an offset spatula, spread evenly.
• Sprinkle the almonds in a 1-inch-wide band around the outside edge of the ganache.
• Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to set the ganache.

ORANGE-ALMOND CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) in strips from oranges. Coarsely chop enough peel to measure 1/2 cup. Combine flour, 1 cup almonds, baking powder and salt in processor; blend until finely ground. Transfer to medium bowl. Place 2 cups sugar and orange peel in processor; blend until peel is finely minced.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until blended. Add sugar mixture and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix milk and both extracts in small bowl. On low speed, beat flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Boil 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice and remaining generous 1 tablespoon sugar in small saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Brush warm juice mixture over tops of cooled cakes.
• Place 1 cake layer, orange syrup side up, on cake platter. Spread 1 cup Chocolate Icing over. Top with second cake layer, then 1 cup icing. Top with third cake layer, syrup side up. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.) Arrange additional almonds, orange triangles and mint leaves around top edge of cake. Slice cake and serve.

AMARETTO CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Grease and flour your pans. Set the oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix the cake mix with the next five ingredients.
• Pour the batter in your pan and bake for 27 minutes for layers or 45+ minutes for a Bundt pan. Check the cake with a toothpick to see if it is done. (When inserted in the cake, it should come out clean. The cake will have just begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.).
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove to finish cooling on a cooling rack. (Slide some waxed paper under the cooling rack to catch the drips of Ganache-yum!).
• For the Ganache:.
• Unwrap the squares of chocolate and place them in a bowl.
• Pour the whipping cream in a pan and bring to a boil.
• Pour the hot cream on the chocolate and stir it until it is smooth and glossy.
• (at this point I chill it slightly for a filling or if I want to spread it).
• Spoon the Ganache over the cake on the rack making sure to cover it evenly.
• When the chocolate Ganache is almost set, top with almonds and place it on your serving plate.

BA'S BEST CHOCOLATE MACAROON CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:
• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly brush a 10"-diameter cake pan with oil. Line the bottom with a round of parchment; brush parchment with oil. Dust sides of pan with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8-10 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Meanwhile, heat chocolate and 1 cup oil in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (don't let bowl touch the water), stirring often, until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
• Pulse almonds, salt, and 1/4 cup cocoa in food processor until nuts are finely ground. Add shredded coconut and pulse a couple of times to combine.
• Beat eggs on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until no longer streaky, about 20 seconds. Add both sugars and vanilla, increase speed to high, and beat until mixture is pale, thick, and starts to hold the marks of the whisk, about 2 minutes (it should fall off the whisk and immediately sink back into itself). Switch to the paddle attachment and with mixer on low speed, gradually add chocolate mixture. Beat to incorporate, then mix in almond mixture. Fold batter several times with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.
• Bake cake until firm to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean but greasy, 35-45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool 15-20 minutes in pan (cake might fall slightly in the center; that's okay). Run a paring knife or small offset spatula around edges of cake; invert onto rack. Carefully peel away parchment; let cool completely.
• Ganache and assembly:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine chocolate, 1 Tbsp. agave nectar, and salt in a medium bowl. Bring coconut milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over low; pour over chocolate mixture. Let sit until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss coconut flakes, almonds, sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. agave nectar on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden, about 4 minutes. Let almond-coconut mixture cool, then break into smaller clusters.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat chocolate mixture until it has lost its sheen and is thick enough to hold very soft peaks, 6-8 minutes (ganache won't be quite as thick as frosting but close).
• Working quickly before ganache starts to set, scrape on top of cake and spread to edges with a small offset spatula or knife. Top with almond-coconut clusters.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be baked and cooled 1 day ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND TIGER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and fit a circle of parchment paper at the base.
• Bring the butter just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the burner to keep the butter warm while you make the cake batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended. Add the almond flour and whisk. If the almond flour is lumpy, use your fingers to break up the clumps. Switch to a spatula and add the egg whites in 3 additions, stirring until the batter is smooth and easily flows off the spatula. Stir in the vanilla until incorporated. Add the butter in 3 additions, folding until it is completely incorporated and you've got a smooth batter with a light sheen. Stir in the chopped chocolate, mixing well. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
• Bake until golden brown, evenly risen and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 37 to 40 minutes. A tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and leave for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the sides of the pan, flip the cake over, remove the pan, peel away the parchment and invert the cake onto another rack. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving or covering with ganache.
• If you'd like, make the topping: Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Gently stir the chocolate and cream together until blended, thick and shiny. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula or kitchen knife to spread it across the cake. Scatter over the toasted almonds. Either leave the cake on the counter to allow the ganache to set a bit (it will never be really firm) or refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to set the chocolate. The cake is best at room temperature. Covered, it will keep for about 3 days at room temperature.